FIIO Releases A $150 Mechanical Keyboard For Audiophiles
You might not know Fiio, but it's a popular manufacturer of portable music players. You know, those things we used to have before smartphones became the default way to listen to music. Sony also still makes PMPs for the small but dedicated audiophile community. These devices usually have more battery capacity and improved audio processing compared to your phone, and they can cost as much or more. The Fiio KB3 keyboard, however, is pretty reasonable at $150.
The Fiio KB3 connects to your Mac or PC via USB, allowing it to use dual internal CS43131 DACs and low-noise amps to output audio. The keyboard supports files up to 32bit/384kHz, plus DSD256 for a higher sample rate. For audiophiles, this means a better listening experience than you'd get using Bluetooth or a headphone jack on the computer itself. You can listen to the KB3's sound output via either a standard 3.5mm jack or the 5.4mm balanced output jack.
The headphone jacks are on the left edge. Opposite that is a handy volume control knob. The board itself isn't very large—it's a popular 75% layout, which eschews several modifiers and the number pad to keep the board from being too wide. It's hotswap too, so you can remove the included linear Gateron G Pro 3.0 switches and install any MX-compatible option. The KB3 also has per-key RGB lighting, and the keycaps are translucent to show that off.
Build quality can vary greatly among keyboards in this price range, but the KB83 at least checks the right boxes. It has an aluminum case with foam pads inside to reduce the hollow sound some keyboards have. It's also a gasket mount board, meaning the switch plate is isolated from the case with rubber spacers.
The Fiio KB3 is currently available on Fiio's official AliExpress store. It will ship toward the end of December if ordered now. Beware, there's a non-HiFi Bluetooth version of the board, as well as a cheaper barebones version of the HiFi edition that doesn't come with switches or keycaps.
